Ambitious plans receive a broadly positive welcome

Ambitious plans to restructure the acute hospital sector have received a broadly positive welcome.

Yesterday, Health Minister James Reilly unveiled the membership of six hospital groups as the first step towards establishing not-for-profit hospital trusts by 2015. The trusts are central to the Government’s commitment to establish a single-tier health system and introduce universal health insurance by 2016.

According to the report — The Establishment of Hospital Groups as a Transition to Independent Hospital Trusts — each group will comprise of between six and 11 hospitals and will include at least one major teaching hospital, a primary academic partner and a National Cancer Control Programme Centre.